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Article|29 Sep 2023|OPEN
A chromosome-level genome assembly provides insights into Cornus wilsoniana evolution, oil biosynthesis, and floral bud development
Zhenxiang He1 ,† , Haoyu Chao1,2 ,† , Xinkai Zhou1 ,† , Qingyang Ni2 , Yueming Hu2 , Ranran Yu1 , Minghuai Wang3 , Changzhu Li4 , Jingzhen Chen4 , Yunzhu Chen4 , Yong Chen5 , Chunyi Cui6 , Liangbo Zhang4,7 , , Ming Chen2 , , Dijun Chen,1 ,
1State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
2Department of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
3Forest Protection Department, Guangdong Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou 510520, China
4State Key Laboratory of Utilization of Woody Oil Resource, Hunan Academy of Forestry, Changsha 410004, China
5Xishan Forest Farm, Dazu District, Chongqing 402360, China
6Longshan Forest Farm, Lechang 512221, China
7Hunan Horticultural Research Institute, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
*Corresponding author. E-mail: zhangliangbo2001@aliyun.com,mchen@zju.edu.cn,dijunchen@nju.edu.cn
†Zhenxiang He,Haoyu Chao,Xinkai Zhou contributed equally to the study.

Horticulture Research 10,
Article number: uhad196 (2023)
doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/hr/uhad196
Views: 97

Received: 21 Apr 2023
Accepted: 25 Sep 2023
Published online: 29 Sep 2023

Abstract

Cornus wilsoniana W. is a woody oil plant with high oil content and strong hypolipidemic effects, making it a valuable species for medicinal, landscaping, and ecological purposes in China. To advance genetic research on this species, we employed PacBio together with Hi-C data to create a draft genome assembly for C. wilsoniana. Based on an 11-chromosome anchored chromosome-level assembly, the estimated genome size was determined to be 843.51 Mb. The N50 contig size and N50 scaffold size were calculated to be 4.49 and 78.00 Mb, respectively. Furthermore, 30 474 protein-coding genes were annotated. Comparative genomics analysis revealed that C. wilsoniana diverged from its closest species ~12.46 million years ago (Mya). Furthermore, the divergence between Cornaceae and Nyssaceae occurred >62.22 Mya. We also found evidence of whole-genome duplication events and whole-genome triplication γ, occurring at ~44.90 and 115.86 Mya. We further inferred the origins of chromosomes, which sheds light on the complex evolutionary history of the karyotype of C. wilsoniana. Through transcriptional and metabolic analysis, we identified two FAD2 homologous genes that may play a crucial role in controlling the oleic to linoleic acid ratio. We further investigated the correlation between metabolites and genes and identified 33 MADS-TF homologous genes that may affect flower morphology in C. wilsoniana. Overall, this study lays the groundwork for future research aimed at identifying the genetic basis of crucial traits in C. wilsoniana.